Press

Categories:

Patrik Mata founded his flagship musical endeavor Kommunity FK in Los Angeles in 1978, just as the aftershocks of the opposite coast’s punk-rock shakeup were beginning to register in his area. A casual observer might be inclined to file Kommunity FK under “Goth” and leave it at that—but to do so would be a clear indicator that said casual observer wasn’t paying close attention.

Many components of the Kommunity FK gestalt are more literary than musical: Mata confesses to being inspired by Burroughs, Dali, and Dadaism. Sonically, Mata’s influences are incredibly diverse. While some are more pronounced than others—nods to David Bowie are worn proudly on a crushed velvet sleeve—others become obvious only upon repeat listening. One senses echoes of Throbbing Gristle’s bold experimentation; some listeners may experience flashbacks to the arresting synth grind of The Screamers.

Mata has chosen PreSonus Studio One as the sole DAW for use at his Vision and the Voice Studios, where he produces audio for film and records bands. Of course, this is also where he created the full-length La Santisima Muerte in 2010, reestablishing Kommunity FK as the torchbearers of death rock. La Santisima Muerte: Proper FKed Vol.1, a remix album, quickly followed.

“I use Studio One 2 exclusively for, well, everything!” Mata says. “When I have any kind of idea for a song, at any time day or night, I simply walk into my studio and begin composing, just like that. Studio One 2 makes recording my compositions very quick and easy. I’ve recorded a lot of my songs completely by myself—I perform, program, track, and edit all of the instrumentation. I also track all of my own vocals. It’s so easy to use that I even do it one-handed at times! In this new world of ‘do it yourself,’ this is truly DIY.

“I tried using Cubase 4 to compose for La Santisima Muerte,” reflects Mata, “and when I was offered the chance to participate in the beta testing for the initial Studio One release, I hit it and quit it! Immediately upon experiencing Studio One’s quick response in both tracking and applying effects, I knew that I had found the best software for my needs.”

Mata is enthusiastic to share production tips, including Studio One 2's oft-overlooked Edit Undo feature. “When I’m not completely happy with a vocal take, I’ll just add another by muting the previous take and recording a new track,” he explains. “However, to avoid having too many unnecessary tracks lying around, I’ll just go to the Edit Undo thumbnail and click it to erase what I don’t need or like in the composition. I also love the Mixtool, EyeQ, and Stereo Expander. These three applications help me design the volume, clarity, and width of any instrument and/or vocal within my compositions. Of course, drag-and-drop functionality is an incredible blessing in itself.”

When it’s time to leave the mouse and keyboard for onstage pursuits more befitting of rock stardom, PreSonus follows Mata into the spotlight. “In the live performance setting, there are only two of us—Sherry Rubber and I—and a very clear and powerful headphone amp is necessary for our performances. We use two PreSonus HP4 headphone amps in order to perform live over our self-produced backing tracks. The HP4 has its own volume potentiometer and provides 150 mW of amplification. It suits our needs exactly.

“I must thank PreSonus for graciously granting me my much-needed and loved artist relationship,” Mata closes. “Without it, I would never have been able to continue producing my music. I would not have the opportunity to share my bits of Studio One experiences, which I hope inspires other musicians and composers to add to their recording and composition process! Studio One is the software that has changed my life and my way of looking at the modern studio experience.”